The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1887-04-14

thoughtful. noble face. Many rosy
mouth smiled upon him. many fasci-
mating lady teacher offered to assist him
in mastering that extremely difficult
foreign idiom. But all these entice-
ments were lost upon the doctor; he
had no time for them.
And, besides, there was one living
remembrance that, like pastel picture
undimmed by time, rose constantly
before him. Waking and dreaming
there was ever present to him the face
of young girl wholly unlike these
dark-eyed foreign beauties-a pale, al
most childish face with piquant nose,
lustrous blue eyes, ight-brown hair-a
delicate. petite figure with charming
hands and feet, and joyous, musical
voice.
This fair maiden who had thus capt
ured the fancy of a somewhat grave,
bookish student, was the only child of
French emigrant, a widower, who
lived proudly isolated in the vine
wreathed house, intrusting the educa-
ton of his daughter to an elderly
French governess. The garden wall
had then, as now, an artistically-
wrought latticed gate on the forest
side. In the fine season, Arnim, who
loved to study In the open air, would
take his Greek and Latin books to the
forest, where he was sure to meet a
child-like figure in white dress with
rich embroideries and dainty ribbons,
skipping up and down the broad, peb-
bled path. To the amazement of our
student, she always wore loose, light
colored kid gloves. Sometimes she
stood close to the gate, her graceful
head pressed against the cold iron bars
the broad-brimmed hat hanging from
her neck by its blue ribbon, while the
eyes that gazed wistfully into the deep
green of the forest mayhap caught a
glimpse of the student who walked hes
itatingly past, and sometimes let book
fall to impede his progress.
This blonde child was quite unlike
other young girls of the little town
did not at all resemble the burgomas-
ter's daughter, who was considered a
model of good breeding and fine man.
ners. To Arnim she seemed coarse be-
side this stranger, who had about her
something of the libellula, something
of the airy grace of that shimmering-
winged creature, destined to fit about
for one brief summers day, and then
die
The foreign maiden sometimes APP
peared on the promenade-a somber
walk shaded by lindens, which sur
rounded the little town-but never
without her governess, a severe-look-
ing, fantastically-dressed and elderly
Frenchwoman. Now and then she
would hang upon the arm of her father,
and both would be chatting merrily.
But this seldom happened, as the Mar
quis travelled back and forth great
deal, passing but little time at home.
Once upon spring day, when the
first May flowers were in bloom and
bird-songs enlivened the forest, as Ar
MIN passed along the wonted path, a
great leather ball flew over the gate
and hit him in the right eye. A sudden
cry of pain escaped him, his book fell
to the ground, and, momentarily blind
ed, he grasped after the nearest tree.
The key turned hastily, the gate
creaked on its hinges, and an excited
figure in white appeared before him.
Soft little hands sought with gentle
force to withdraw his own hand from
his eyes, and a sweet voice spoke con-
soling words in French-then to Arnim
an almost unknown tongue.